This is How it All Began

This is How it All Began

by | Oct 14, 2024 | 2024, Italy, Moving, Retirement

PHOTOS OF CHRISTMAS PAST

2023 Christmas on the Beach

. . . Turned out to be a bit, “BORING,” FOR ONE OF US.

And so Naida found this alternative for the following Christmas (this year, 2024).

While I reluctantly agreed, I am now ecstatic with anticipation, not just for Christmas, this year, but for the rest of our lives, beginning October 20th.

You see, while Naida found where we will stay at Christmas, she also found advantages and reasons for moving to Italy. We also found an INCREDIBLY INDESCRIBABLE PEACE, every-time we prayed about it.

I remember one time texting her.

I said, “Naida, can you think of ONE reason to NOT MOVE to Italy?”

“No!” was all she said, and I wholeheartedly agreed.

One Week Changed Our Life . . .

  • Basically, we had been investigating moving to Italy for a few months when, on a Thursday, we decided to buy tickets to go to Italy in October. We didn’t want to clutter our Christmas Holiday looking for homes in Italy.
  • THAT WAS THURSDAY, you caught that, right?
  • On Monday our financial adviser said, “Naida you could retire today.”
  • 2 hours later she was talking to the president of her company.
  • 2 days later we put our home up for sale.
  • 1 day later we put our horse up for sale.

The Beach was Boring, but the Future is EXCITING!

Though Christmas 2024 is NOT on the Beach, I Can't Complain (see below) . . .

FLORENCE

It’s a splurge, but this very unique location is across from “Il Duomo” in Florence.

BOLSENA

This turned out to be a “Renaissance-Aristocratic-Palace.” Nice choice, Naida!

ROME

While this is a “regular” Air-BNB, we are within a few blocks of “The Vatican.”

Don't Forget, Naida and I Still Have Prayer Requests

A NOTE ABOUT NOT WAVERING

We have had a lot of “BIG CHALLENGES” which have come our way since we decided to move to Italy, BUT NEVER ONCE, have we wavered on whether or not we heard from the Lord, regarding this move.

Never Once!

And for that “Sure-Hope,” “Confident-Hope,” “Godly-Hope,” we praise the Lord.

Mark & Naida

Remember Our Weekly Posts

Touring

Touring

by | Sep 23, 2024 | 2024, Italy, Retirement

Naida & I Will be TOURING Towns in the "Stunning" Abruzzo Region

What in the Wide, Wide World of Sports are You Doing???

Great Question!

As you know, on October 20th we fly to Italy where we will make our way over to Pescara, VIA the #FlixBus line.

(https://markmirza.com/flixbus/)

On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the same week we will connect with 35 or so others, AND TOUR CITIES IN THE ABRUZZO REGION.

Yeah baby!

Whoops, sorry. I lost myself there for a moment.

This is really where this adventure began . . .

Info About Tours from Italy-David

The Beach Was Boring

One of us decided the beach at Christmas was boring this last year, and it WASN’T the writer of this post.

Naida Starts Looking
For an Alternative

Don’t ask me why. But she did. And she started finding some AMAZING things then, about this beautiful part of the Lord’s creation, Italy.

  • She found stories of people who have moved there (not the “sour-grapes” folks).
  • She found clean towns, free of litter (tons of clean towns, TONS of them).
  • She found cost of living analysis (not in major towns, but in the countryside).
  • She found incentives for retired folks to move there (financial incentives).
  • She found an idyllic way to retire (including some beautiful properties).
Don't Forget Our Weekly Blogs

Peace When You're Obedient

We’ve experienced something through our act of obedience which we did not expect.

God Honors Obedience
By Giving Us Peace

What an incredible blessing to receive from the Lord. It has been amazing and surprising.

LOL

I guess it should neither amaze us, nor surprise us, that God is so good.

As we look back onto these last few months . . .

  • God has allowed difficulties.
  • God has brought challenges.
  • God has stretched our faith muscle. And,
  • God has given us a peace which transcends our understanding (Philippians 4:7)

 

Our Current Prayer Requests

An Actual Tour

Wanna know what our tour will look like?

This is What
We can Expect

This video is from our new friends, Lorrie & David Thornton.

In fact, CLICK ON THEIR YouTube channel below and subscribe.

They did a great job letting us AND THE WORLD see what their recent tour with Italy-David looked like.

  • Note that one of the towns in the video is Raiano, it’s where they purchased their Italian home.
  • Note the beauty of ALL the towns.
  • Note the camaraderie of the attendees.
  • Note the . . . never-mind, just enjoy the video.
Their YouTube Channel

Italy-David

“Stunning” is the catch-phrase (or word) of Italy-David (our name for him). He is David Benton from AHomeInItaly.com

Traffic

Traffic

by | Sep 16, 2024 | 2024, Italy, Moving

Welllllll Kind of

  • We are moving AWAY from Atlanta
  • We are moving 2 hours outside Rome
  • We are moving to a small village
  • . . . on a rise
  • . . . in a valley
  • . . . between 2 mountains
  • Traffic will be different
Pray For Us, We're Gonna Need It

A New Season

Join Our Adventure

Follow our story as we navigate the joys and challenges of retirement in a new country. Every Monday morning Mark puts out a new post.

Read Them Here

Traffic in Italy will be DIFFERENT

And we are quite looking forward to the change.

What do you think the chances are the sheep we run into (in the non-accident sense of the word), or any other livestock we come across are going to line up like this for us?

We don’t think so either.

Mark & Naida

What We Won't Miss

★★★★★

Horns

I pray with friends who have tweeting birds in the background, while I listen to horns and sirens.

★★★★★

1.5 Hours

Most Fridays & Saturdays & Sundays it takes us 1.5 hours to get home from the barn, 33 miles away.

★★★★★

5 Hours

In Atlanta we are 5 hours from the beach. In Capestrano, Italy we will only be 45 minutes from the Adriatic Sea.

What We'll Get Used To

★★★★★

Serenity

Our garden has lights, for use in the evening, WITHOUT the sound of traffic, or folks yelling from the street, at 3am.

★★★★★

5 Minutes

Every morning we can walk up the road, between historic buildings to the market, for the day’s food, a cuppuccino, even a cornetto.

★★★★★

Views

Panoramic views from our pool chairs & garden, across the valley and to the Gran Sasso Mountains.

Our Neighborhood

A 3½ Minute Video

HEART BANDAID is the name of this short video. I made it for 2 reasons:

  1. It is a pictorial of Our Neighborhood. And,
  2. It is also a message regarding the politics OF YOUR heart, NOT OTHERS’ hearts.

Stay Updated on Our Journey

Find our weekly posts which chronicle OUR ADVENTURE . . .

Our Weekly Posts

Flixbus

Flixbus

by | Sep 9, 2024 | 2024, Italy

What are the Odds?

Remember FlixBus

This is the bus you’ll take from Rome to our new home in the “Stunning Abruzzo Region,” as our friend, Italy-David calls it.

Our Italian Adventure

For Mark & Naida, Embracing a New Chapter in THEIR Lives, Includes YOU TOO

We have said from the beginning that, “While everyone else DOWNSIZES when they retire, we are UPSIZING” because we want you to have a place to rest for a few days after flying to Rome Fiumicino, “Leonardo da Vinci” Airport. With us you can hang for a few days until you are ready to head off for your European Vaca!

Charge you?
Of course, not!
You’d be our guests (for a day or two).

So, What are the Odds?

Sooooooo, WHAT ARE THE ODDS I’d see this bus line on The Connector in Atlanta traffic? It’s the bus line we are scheduled to take from Rome to Pescara, Italy in October, for tours of the “Stunning” Abruzzo Region.

Our home will be 2 hours East of Rome, in “Stunning” Abruzzo, of course.

REMEMBER THIS BUS
It’s the Bus-Line You’ll Take to Our Home

Do you notice his turning light is on? I noticed it too. So, in downtown Atlanta traffic, I IMMEDIATELY dropped back and flicked my lights, letting him get over.

And then I, ummm, I mean, someone, took a photo, SAFELY, OF COURSE!

Dark Threads

Dark Threads

by | Jul 29, 2024 | 2024, Italy, Moving

Life's Tapestry: God Uses Both Dark & Gold Threads

If God is Sovereign, He HAS A PLAN!
Though Dark Threads Abound, Gold Threads ARE ALSO in Your Life

The Tapestry of Our Journey

Embracing Life's Challenges and Blessings

Mark & Naida’s Confession

If we focus on the Dark Threads, we’ll end up taking a gloomy blanket to Italy instead of a beautiful, colorful, tapestry.

Herbert Lockyer

We must wait, for He will surely come . . . “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent” (Psalm 50:3). His seeming silence is not one of callous indifference or helpless weakness but a pledge of the utmost spiritual good for the sufferer.

Herbert Lockyer

With a glorious end in view, the Lord does not spare us from pain but makes us perfect through the suffering endured . . . The psalmist could say, “Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept Thy word” (Psalm 119:67).

Herbert Lockyer

The whole world groans (Romans 8:23).
It has been said of the Bible that “without tears it was not written, and without tears it cannot be understood.”

Zig Ziglar

The great man used to always respond the same way, “Yes, I’m feeling great!”
But challenged by a friend one day about how he TRULY FELT,
Zig replied, “No, sometimes I’m just telling the truth a little early, that’s all.”

Our Prayer Requests

We intend to keep our most current prayer requests in the same place.
Just CLICK HERE and scroll down the page.

Addressing Dark Threads

Herbert Lockyer's Great Book

Lots of books have been written on the suffering Christian. BUT, there’s a reason why I quoted Mr Lockyer 3 times above. Find his book, NOW!

Mark Addresses WORRY

A video born out of a life which, by God’s grace, no longer worries.

FREE 3 Minute Video

Click Here

Mark Addresses THANKING

Thank the Lord for EVERYTHING? He can’t be serious.

FREE 2 Minute Video

Click Here

Italian Food Experts

Italian Food Experts

by | Jul 15, 2024 | 2024, Italy, Moving

Italian Food

Italian food? We're experts!

My Friend Embarrassed Me the Other Day!

“Mark, are you ready for the food in Italy?”

I looked back at him indignantly, but he continued. “How well do you know Italian food, Mark?”

“We’re experts! We make it all the time,” I told him.

And then I gave him names!

  • De Cecco Pasta
  • Ragù Sauce
  • Kroger Frozen Pizza

Don’t non-y’all ask me any more foolish questions, okay!

ONE ONE MORE THING! The De Cecco Pasta is made in the Abruzzo Region where we are moving to!

And finally, full disclosure requires me to admit, this post is from Mark, as Naida probably won’t claim any ownership to it.

Of course, Naida and I still have prayer requests which you can lift up on our behalf.

Find them here: MarkMirza.com

Just wait till you get to Italy and taste our GOOD cookin'

Copyright © 2026 Divi. All Rights Reserved.